Fostering art and culture in Acadiana.
About Us
How We Serve Our Community
Arts in Education
The AcA’s Arts in Education programs provide arts experiences to students as well as tools to teachers for integrating the arts into the education experience.
Community Development
AcA administers state, local, and privately funded arts and culture re-grant programs, supports the creation of new works of art, exhibits, performances, workshops, public art, and audience services.
Visual Arts
AcA serves thousands of patrons each year through more than 20 exhibitions and 6,000 square feet of world-class galleries.
The department actively seeks out new regional artists, as well as showcases leading professionals in the global arts community.
Performing Arts
AcA’s Performing Arts Program includes a wide variety of elevating performing arts experiences that continue to attract support, participation, & public attention from all corners of the community. These programs put money into the local arts community & engage new audiences year-round.
students reached
by AcA Teaching Artists annually
public schools
receive AcA’s Arts in Education services annually
YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP
with Lafayette Parish School System
teaching artists
employed annually
invested in Acadiana artists and cultural organizations annually
in Acadiana artists and cultural organizations, through fair compensation and grant support
people
served annually by AcA
artists
fairly compensated annually
parishes served by AcA's mission
(Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, & Vermilion Parishes)
Our Mission and History
Our mission is fostering art and culture in Acadiana.
Founded in 1975, Acadiana Center for the Arts (“AcA”) is a community-supported nonprofit organization that fosters art and culture in Acadiana. Since its founding, AcA has developed as a major force, shaping the future of public education and community development in South Louisiana. Located in the heart of Downtown Lafayette, AcA also serves a vibrant hub of the city’s arts and music scene.
AcA supports the creation of new works of art, exhibits, festivals, performances, and public art across an eight-parish region that includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parishes.
AcA aims to bring equitable access to the arts and supports fair compensation of artists. On average, AcA serves over 300,000 people annually and provides fair compensation to 2,700 artists.
In 2013, the AcA merged with the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana (“PASA”), whose mission was to educate, inspire, entertain, and culturally enrich the people of south Louisiana by providing local access to a diverse range of the performing arts. This merger supported the vision of both organizations and provided much-needed support to PASA’s programs. Founded in 1989, PASA served as a leading voice in the performing arts in South Louisiana for close to three decades.
Plans & Reports
AcA Staff
Executive Team
Samuel Oliver
(He/Him)
Executive Director
Fawn Hernandez
(She/Her)
Deputy Director
Cathryn Hanks
(She/Her)
Executive Assistant
Front of House Team
Melissa Penny
(She/Her)
Visitor Experience Director
Marcelino Gois Caldas
(He/Him)
Visitor Operations Supervisor
Ashlynn Gary
(She/Her)
Lead Guest Services Associate
Malcolm Cormier
(He/They)
Guest Services Associate
Abba Ramsay
(She/Her)
Guest Services Associate
Kay Blanchard
(She/Her)
Café and Bar Manager
Kylie Latiolais
(She/Her)
Barista
Lauren Long
(She/Her)
Barista
Fundraising & Marketing Staff
Corinne Sprague
(She/Her)
Development Director
Allison Doucet
(She/Her)
Development Manager
Mandy McGee
(She/Her)
Marketing & Creative Manager
Operations Staff
Christine Langlois
(She/Her)
Administration & Systems Manager
Janna Ziegler
(She/Her)
Office Coordinator
Vicki Chrisman
(She/Her)
Director of Finance
Kayla Guidry
(She/Her)
Facilities Manager
Tim Benoit
(He/Him)
Facilities Coordinator
Taylor Bourque
(He/Him)
Technical Director
Programs Staff
Anna Kojevnikov
(She/Her)
Community Engagement Director
Audrey de Mahy
(She/Her)
Community Engagement Coordinator
Bree Sargent
(She/Her)
Education Director
Verity French
(She/Her)
Education Manager
Erin Gray
(She/Her)
Education Coordinator
Jessica Duncan
(She/Her)
Education Coordinator
Jaik Faulk
(He/Him)
Visual Arts Director
Asher Rey
(She/They)
Visual Arts Coordinator
Brandon Motz
(He/Him)
Performing Arts Director
Zyria Guillory
(She/Her)
Performing Arts Coordinator
Jane Vidrine
(She/Her)
Louisiana Music Museum Director
David Boudreaux
(He/Him)
Louisiana Scoring Studio Program Manager
Katie Seidel
(She/Her)
Louisiana Scoring Operations Coordinator
Send Us a Message
Join the team!
AcA Board of Directors
AcA Board Officers
Nanette Soileau Heggie
President
Taylor Davis
Immediate Past President
Melissa Maeker
President-Elect
Adrian King
Secretary
Jessica Swiney Allain
Treasurer
Robert Chevalier
Member-At-Large
Carolyn Doerle Schumacher
Member-At-Large
AcA Board Members
Jamie Baldridge
Artist and Professor and head of Digital Art and New Media concentration at at ULL
Charles Boudreaux
Partner, Kean Miller LLP
Dr. Jon Downs
Principal, J. Wallace James Elementary
Kiki Frayard
Owner, Kiki
Sarah Gauthier
Arts Education Leader, Educator, Actor, Director
Mary Guidry
Investar Bank, N.A.
Ethan Jordan
Founder & Head of Product, Faregame
Ethan Jordan
Founder & Head of Product, Faregame
Brandon Journet
Brand Manager, Townsquare Media
Jeanine Lanoux
CEO-Founder, Lanoux Learning, Coaching & Consulting
Forrest Montgomery
Data Engineering Manager, Sayari
Carly Myers
Lucy Osborn
Michael Soileau
CEO, LFT Fiber | Director, Louisiana Consolidated Government
J’annine Sullivan
Members-Emeritus
Edward C. Abell, Jr.
Janet R. Begneaud
John Chappuis
Charles Walter Dobie
Philip Gould
Dan Hare
What’s New
A Little Lagniappe: Erin Gray
Summertime holds a special place in my heart, in ways I never thought were possible. Looking back, my summers as a kid were filled with eating watermelon, drinking from the water hose, attending soccer camps, going on beach trips and getting some seriously nasty...
Storytellers • A Tribute to Bryant Benoit
Storytellers. A tribue to Bryant Benoit Spoken by Milton Arceneaux at the 2026 ArtSpark Awards Reception Acadiana Center for the Arts • May 9, 2026 Bryant Lee Benoit 1971 — 2026 Artist · Collagist · Storyteller “You may not be here in your physical anymore. But your...
A Little Lagniappe: Audrey de Mahy
The first three months of the year are always a very special time here in the Community Engagement Department. In the spirit of transformations and new beginnings, it is traditionally the time of year when our individual artist grants and awards are open for...
Member Spotlight: Steve Breaux & Kathy Reed
Job Title / Profession Kathy: Artist Steve: Retired Professor of Visual Arts How long have you been a member of the AcA? Kathy: Since the beginning Steve: Since it opened What books are you reading right now? Kathy: Threads of Awakening: an American woman’s journey...
Member Spotlight: Rachelle & Tom Brown
Profession Supervisor of Fine Arts, World Languages, and French Immersion Place of work Vermilion Parish School System Summarize what you do for work! I supervise fine arts, world languages, and French Immersion in the Vermilion Parish School System. What do you love...
Planting the Seeds: A 2025-2026 Student Artist Award Retrospective
February 23, 2026 will mark the opening of our two annual Student Artist Award programs: the Jean Breaux Award and the Courtney Granger Memorial Award. Although the two awards differ in their audiences, the Courtney Granger Memorial Award focusing on the development...
Artist Dirk Guidry Interviewed by Student Reporter Zhoriél Tapo
A deep dive into the 5,000 sq. ft Children’s Museum of Acadiana mural and the impact of the Talented Program for our students In the heart of Downtown Lafayette, a transformation is taking place. Spanning over 5,000 square feet, the Children’s Museum of Acadiana’s...
Member Spotlight: Corinne Sprague
Hello! I’m thrilled to be featured as the February Member Spotlight; mainly because February just so happens to be my favorite month of the year. Not only is it my birthday month, but about 8 times out of 10, Mardi Gras falls in February, too. Coincidence? I think...
Superintendents Breakfast on Arts in Education
Executive summary AcA convened superintendents and leadership teams from school districts across Acadiana for a working breakfast focused on strengthening and scaling the Arts in Education (AiE) partnership. The presentation grounded the conversation in current reach...
‘Black Paintings’: Native New Orleanian explores Black experience through artwork
The Acadiana Advocate By JOANNA BROWN | Contributing Writer FEB 10, 2023 - 2:29 PM New Orleans artist John Isiah Walton has created 100 paintings that explore the Black experience — and his personal journey — through a comprehensively contemporary lens that touches on...
State of the Arts is a Civic Forum to Elevate Public Conversation About the Role of Arts and Culture in Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, LA - May 27, 2025 - Acadiana Center for the Arts presents the third annual State of the Arts symposium, a civic forum spotlighting the essential role of arts and culture in shaping Lafayette’s economy, identity, and future. All are invited to attend this...
FY2026 Student Artist Award Recipients
Pictured L-R: Mary Neiheisel, Chair Jean Breaux Award; Audrey deMahy, AcA Community Engagement Coordinator; Elise Riley; Jonas Johnson; A’Myra Menard; Ashtyn Raxdale; Anna Kojevnikov, AcA Community Engagement Director; Addyson Broussard; Kenneth Granger, Chair...
Louisiana Scoring Brings Major Film Work to Local Musicians, Strengthening State’s Economy
Pictured: David Torns (conductor), leads a 28-piece string orchestra for a Louisiana Scoring test scoring session. LAFAYETTE, LA – Louisiana’s long-standing reputation as a music powerhouse is taking a bold step forward with the launch of Louisiana Scoring, a program...
Creative Acadiana | Spring 2025
Participants and figure drawing model at AcA’s Artist Round Up, Spring 2025 LAFAYETTE, LA - March 17, 2025 - Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA) kicks off a new season of Creative Acadiana, supporting creative entrepreneurs across the region. A dynamic lineup of...
AcA showcases lifetime of art works from UL Architecture professor, George Loli
LAFAYETTE, LA - September 9, 2024 - Acadiana Center for the Arts is excited to announce its next main gallery exhibition – George Loli: Theatrics of Space - a posthumous celebration of the artwork and legacy of George Loli, longtime professor of art at the University...
ArtSpark Grant Applications Open for 2025
LAFAYETTE, LA - Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA) invites individual artists, musicians, cultural workers, and creatives to apply for ArtSpark, a grant program offering a $50,000 pool to support new works of art and professional development. Applications are open...
AcA Launches Fall 2024 Programming for Creatives Seeking Professional Development Opportunities
LAFAYETTE, LA - August 12, 2024 - Acadiana Center for the Arts’ creative entrepreneurship and professional development series, Creative Acadiana, is launching their Fall season on August 13 with a session which will appeal to the abundance of talented musicians in the...
Jane Vidrine Appointed as Inaugural Director of the Louisiana Music Museum
Acadiana Center for the Arts is proud to announce the appointment of Jane Vidrine, a Grammy-nominated musician, arts administrator, music educator, and folklorist, as the inaugural director of the Louisiana Music Museum. With a long and diverse career in teaching,...
Music, film, and dance come together for Sediment, an immersive experience at Acadiana Center for the Arts
LAFAYETTE, LA - The Acadiana Center for the Arts’ Spotlight Theatre and Dance series, proudly presented by Standard Title, is thrilled to unveil "Sediment," a captivating performance that fuses music, dance, and multimedia art. Renowned Lafayette choreographer Whitney...
AcA Brand Materials
If you’re partnering with Acadiana Center of the Arts for programming, have a grant funded by AcA, or looking for our logo for any other number of reasons, you’ve come to the right place! Below you’ll find our third party logo files.
If you have an official partnership with Acadiana Center for the Arts, and would prefer a horizontal logo, please reach out the the AcA marketing staff. EMAIL HERE.
Click to download